Fruit cutting and pitting machine



K. G. MOLTZNER. FRUIT CUTTING AND FITTING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 23, 1918. 1 ,334, 1 62. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET I- a O O mam 7 Karl 6: Moll'zn er K. G. MOLTZNER. FRUIT CUTTING AND PITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, I918- Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL G. MOII'IZNER, 0F ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE-FOURTH T0 THOMAS A. MARLOWE,

OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

FRUIT CU 'TTING AND FITTING MACHINE.

Application filed March 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL G. MOLTZNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Anderson, county of Shasta, Stateof alifornia, have invented a certain new and. useful Improvement in Fruit Cutting and Pitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and etficient machine for halving such fruit as peaches and apricots, and removing the pit from the half to which it ma adhere.

A further object of my machine is to -in-,, sure that the fruit will be cut right down to the pit so as to'facilitate the removal of the latter, and in this way keep the two halves in good condition; in other words, preventing the tearing of the parts of the fruit away from either half in removing the pit.

Furthermore, my invention includes novel and efiicient means for removing the pit from that half of the fruit to which it may adhere.

In the accompanying vention:

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my machine;

Fig. 2 is a front side elevation thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective showing more particularly the device with which my invention is directly concerned; Fig. 1 is a detail of the halving element; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of the means provided for carrying the fruit to and past the fruit cutting element.

a represents the frame of my machine, including members I), c at one end, in which the sprocket gears a", d are journaled. The latter gears are connected by sprocket chains 6, c, with the sprocket gears f, f located in the opposite end of my machine. The sprocket gears d, d are driven from a main shaft 9 by means of bevel gear element as h, only that related to the sprocket gear d being shown in Fig. 3, and the. driving means being illustrated in a general way in Fig.

drawings of my infruit cutting or Specification of Lettefs Patent.

- they Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

1918. Serial No. 224,279.

2; i being a gear meshing with a pinion, not shown, on the shaft 3', on which is mounted the wheel 70.

Each of the sprocket chains one halfof the fruit carrier. The attachment is efiected, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, by brackets 1. Each carrier part consists of a transverse plate m, and a hinged arm a controlled by a spring 0, the springs 0 beingadapted to hold the arms it toward each other, and in this way supporting the fruit representedby p. The fruit cutting element consists of two opposed knife members q, q, pivoted in a vertical plane and curved so as recede at that end against which the fruit is first brought into contact, and their opposite ends being adapted to be in contact with each other, as illustrated in Fig. 4:. The knife members g, q are controlled by coil-springs a", r, tending to hold the knife members in the position are shown in dot-and-dash outline in Fig. 4:. In the latter the stone or pit of the fruit.

As will be observed from Fig. i. the construction of the knife members (1, g, and their control thereof: bythe springs 1', r, is such asto insure that the fruitwill be cut clear through and all around and right down to the pit thereof; in this way insuring that the halves will be completely severed, and further insuring that the two halves of the fruit will be in good condition and not mutilated by parts thereof being torn away when the pit is removed.

After the fruit has been halved, it is advanced against the fruit separating element of my machine. This comprises diverging plates arranged in upper and lower sections, as s, 3', one above the other, with a sufiicient space'bet'ween them to pass the pit of the fruit; and in such space is located, on either side of said fruit dividing plates, spur wheels t, on shafts a, driven by means of sprocket chains '0, connecting a sprocket pinion and the sprocket gear on the shafts u and d respectively. This construction will be clear by comparing Figs. 2 and 3.

Thus assuming the fruit to be a peach, after it has been halved, the pit will be carried by either half, and as the pit-carrying e, a carries figure represents half passes the related spur-gear t the latter said space between said sections of the fruit will operate to dislodge and remove it. separating element.

he arrangement of the brace members w 3. In a machine of the character described,

of the frame, and the arrangement and con- :1 fruit-carrying element comprising driven struction of the other parts of in machine is parallel endless chains, each provided with not material to my invention, at may be one-half of a fruit-carrier, and each half made as deemed convenient. 1 carrier comprising a perpendicularly pro- 1 claim: jecting plate and a springcontrolled hin ed 1. In a machine of the character described, arm, sald plates and arms cooperating with the combination of a fruit-cutting element each other. comprising two opposed knife blades piv- 4. In a machine of the character described, oted at points intermediate their ends, the in combination with a fruit-carrying element knifeblades having diverging curves at comprising driven parallel endless chains, their forward ends, against which the fruit each provided with one-half of a fruitis brought first, and converging from such carrier, a pair of spring-controlled knives forward ends to their rear ends, springs adapted to cut the fruit circumferentially operating to hold the forward ends of the between said half carriers, means for sepa-i knife-blades spaced apart normally, and rating and carrying the two halves of the means for carrying the fruit past the cut-- fruit in diverging directions, and ,driven ting element. spur-gears located to dislodge the pit of 2. In a machine of the character described, the fruit carried by eithr separated half the combination of a fruit-cutting element thereof. COIIIPIlSlIlg two opposed, pivoted knife-mem- 5. In a machine of the character described,

bers receding at that end against which the incombination with a fruit-carrying element fruit is brought first and comin together colnprisin parallel members eachprovided at the opposite end, springs attached at said with onealfof a fruit-carrier, a pair of receding ends of the knife-members and spring-controlled knives adapted to cut the adapted normally to hold the's'ame apart at fruit circumferentially between said carsaid end, means for carrying the fruit to and riers, means for separating and carryin the past the cutting element, means located bctwo halves of the fruit in diverging dime, yond the knife-element for separatingthe tions, said separating. means providedwith two halves of the fruit, such means comprisa horizontal space, and a pit removing eleing diverging portions arranged in two sec-- ment located in such space for dislodging tions, spaced apart, to admit the pit of the the pit of the fruit carried'by either sepafruit between them, and a pit remover comrated half there0f.. prising a driven spur wheel projecting in KARL Gr. MOLTZNER. 

